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Canada got the last hurrah at the Celebration of Light Saturday evening, closing the three-night event with a winning display. Canada was declared the winner of the event, with Brazil and China finishing second and third, respectively.

Members of the Calgary Police Service investigate Sunday after stopping a vehicle in connection to a theft and a hit and run at Sunridge Mall. The car was boxed in by police vehicles near 16th Avenue and Barlow Trail N.E.

Photograph by: Colleen De Neve
, Calgary Herald

CALGARY — A man is facing a number of criminal code charges after he allegedly tried to shoplift at a northeast Calgary mall, pulled a knife on a Zellers employee, drove the wrong way down a busy road and bashed into vehicles before finally being boxed in by police.

Around 5 p.m. Sunday, police were alerted to a shoplifting incident at the Zellers in Sunridge Mall. As the suspect was fleeing the store, a female Zellers employee tried to stop the man, according to duty inspector Paul Stacey.

She chased him to his car and got inside. Then the suspect pulled a knife on her. A fight broke out and she was able to toss the knife from the window, but the man fled with her still inside.

Driving a 1996 Buick Park Avenue, he crashed into another vehicle in the parking lot as he was leaving. An eight-year-old child was in the other vehicle but was uninjured.

The suspect started driving along 36th Street N.E. on the wrong side of the road.

A police helicopter was able to spot the car near 26th Avenue N.E., where it crashed into two more cars.

Eventually, police boxed the vehicle near 16th Avenue and Barlow Trail N.E., causing damage to a pair of police cars.

The 32-year-old driver was taken into custody. It was soon discovered he had Canada-wide warrants out for his arrest due to parole violations.

He was taken to hospital to get checked out and he is now behind bars.

The licence plate was stolen but it was unknown if the car was stolen, too, Stacey said.

The Zellers employee was badly shaken although not injured, Stacey noted.

While he doesn’t know all of the circumstances, Stacey does not recommend the public put themselves in such situations.

“We don’t want the public to get involved where it puts your own life at jeopardy,” Stacey said. “That’s our job, we’ll look after that. Just be a good witness.

“She was in quite a bit of danger throughout this ordeal.”

The man now faces criminal code charges of hit and run, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving, among others.

Members of the Calgary Police Service investigate Sunday after stopping a vehicle in connection to a theft and a hit and run at Sunridge Mall. The car was boxed in by police vehicles near 16th Avenue and Barlow Trail N.E.